Apparatus for processing foodstuffs

ABSTRACT

The present invention describes a method and apparatus for processing foodstuffs. The apparatus comprises a housing that is divided into three chambers, one above the other. The lower chamber is the processing chamber, the upper chamber is the air and/or smoke distribution chamber, and the intermediate chamber is a plenum chamber. Suitable openings interconnect the several chambers, and an air inlet extends from a point externally of the housing to the intermediate plenum chamber. An air outlet and heating means are disposed in the distribution chamber, while means for supplying smoke extend from a point externally of the housing to the processing chamber. A blower is mounted in the distribution chamber and is driven in such manner as to withdraw air and/or smoke from the processing chamber and air from the plenum chamber to the distribution chamber for eventual recycling to the processing chamber, or to the air outlet. The opening interconnecting the plenum chamber and the processing chamber is provided with a variable slot arrangement including an inverted volute and a hollow truncated cone, with the combination of said volute and truncated cone being effective to ensure a uniform distribution of air and/or smoke within the processing chamber. The uniform distribution of flow within the processing chamber is required to ensure the uniform cooking and/or smoking of all of the foodstuff products disposed in the processing chamber.

States Patent [1 1 Seelbaeh [451 .luly24, 1973 APPARATUS FOR PROCESSINGFOODSTUFFS [75 l lnventor: Bernard H. Seelbach,Staatsburg,

[73 Assignee: K. C. Seelhack Co., llnc., fillinebeai [22] Filed: Mar. 3,1972 21 App]. No.: 231,566

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins Attorney-Thomas M. Marshall [57]ABSTRACT The present invention describes a method and apparatus forprocessing foodstuffs. The apparatus comprises a housing that is dividedinto three chambers, one

above the other. The lower chamber is the processing chamber, the upperchamber is the air and/or smoke distribution chamber, and theintermediate chamber is a plenum chamber. Suitable openings interconnectthe several chambers, and an air inlet extends from a point externallyof the housing to the intermediate plenum chamber. An air outlet andheating means are disposed in the distribution chamber, while means forsupplying smoke extend from a point externally of the housing to theprocessing chamber. A blower is mounted in the distribution chamber andis driven in such manner as to withdraw air and/or smoke from theprocessing chamber and air from the plenum chamber to the distributionchamber for eventual recycling to the processing chamber, or to the airoutlet. The opening interconnecting the plenum chamber and theprocessing chamber is provided with a variable slot arrangementincluding an inverted volute and a hollow truncated cone, with thecombination of said volute and truncated cone being effective to ensurea uniform distribution of air and/or smoke within the processingchamber. The uniform distribution of flow within the processing chamberis required to ensure the uniform cooking and/or smoking of all of thefoodstuff products disposed in the processing chamber.

35 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures [111 3,747,513 1 July 24, 1973 UnitedStates Patent 1 Seelbach PATENIEBJULMIQH SHEET 1 BF 6lllllllllIIIPIIIIIIIIHIJIIIII I:P|||ll |||P||l| Ill! lo F'ICil APPARATUSFOR PROCESSING FOODSTUFFS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for processing foodstuffs, such as meat,sausage, fish, ham, cheese and the like, in a rapid and efficientmanner.

Shaped meat products, such as skinless frankfurters and sausage,comprise a prepared emulsion with meat, curing agents, and spices whichare stuffed into artificial casings such as eellulosic casings. Theresulting product forms a container, permeable to moisture and curingsmoke, and of a predetermined size for cooking to a desired uniformweight. Cooking and/or smoking of the encased meat emulsion operates tocoagulate the meat proteins of the emulsion and thereby create a solidwith a smooth surface formation. As dictated by various Governmentregulations, the smoking and cooking process must meet certainrequirements. For example, the Meat Inspection Division of the U. S.Department of Agriculture has set requirements that the internaltemperature of a frankfurter must attain at least a minimum temperatureof 137 F. In meeting this standard, it has been the common practice ofthe meat processing industry to maintain a minimum temperature of 137 F.for at least 5 minutes. The American Meat Institute Foundationrecommends cooking sausage to an internal temperature of 150 F., inorder to prevent bacterial spoilage in the meat, and it has been foundas common practice in the industry that 155 F. is effective in mostcases in preventing a condition commonly referred to as bacterialgreening. Based on these requirements, it has been the general practiceof the industry, in an attempt to ensure that the internal temperatureof the meat emulsion reaches the prescribed temperature for the desiredlength of time, to require the cooking and/or smokingoperations toextend over a period of time from I to 8 hours per batch,

depending upon the type of emulsion, casing, and the type ofconventional processing house employed in the process. It should benoted that one of the primary objectives of processing foodstuffs is toensure that all bacterial growth has been destroyed or substantiallyinhibited, which bacterial growth could result in spoilage of the meat.It is also important to attain the desired color of the meat and thedesired surface formation, as well as the desired texture.

. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The common processing chamber, alsoreferred to as a smokehouse, known in the art includes a large smokingchamber into which strands of the comminuted meat emulsion product areplaced over a "tree" consisting of a rack which is either rolled intothe chamber or guided on a central rail mounted inthe smoke housecompartment. An opening is provided in the top of the smoking chamber,with a large fan mounted above the opening. Ducting extends from theregion of the fan to an inlet to the smoking chamber. During the variouscycles of operation of the conventional smoke house, air or smoke isintroduced into the chamber and the fan is slowly rotated to circulatethe flow from the chamber, through the ducting and back to the smokingchamber. The low velocity recirculated flow is continued until all ofthe foodstuffs are completely dried and cooked. This type ofconventional smokehouse requires long processing periods in order toensure that all of the foodstuffs within the smoking compartment areproperly treated. In general, this type of smoke house is extremelyinefficient, requiring long processing times which increase the cost ofprocessing foodstuffs.

A modified form of conventional smokehouse has been proposed, includinga housing having a lower smoking chamber and an upper distributionchamber. Mounted above the smoking chamber in the distribution chamberis a blower arrangement which is positioned immediately above a centralopening in the partition separating the smoking chamber and thedistribution chamber. The blower withdraws air or smoke from the smokingchamber and circulates the air/smoke around the outside of the smokingchamber in order to enable it to be distributed along the side walls ofthe smoking chamber. Because of the suction effect of the overheadblower pulling a central column of air straight up through the smokingchamber, dead spots in the air flow are created on the upper left andright walls of the smoking chamber. Accordingly, the rate of temperaturerise in the products located along the upper right and upper left wallsof the smoking chamber is generally very slow, as contrasted to theproducts in other portions of the smoking chamber. Hence, products inthese dead spots have slower color development, and as a result there isnon-uniformity in the resulting color of the products disposed in thesmoking chamber. In order to alleviate this problem, attempts have beenmade to decrease the cooking time in these conventional smokehouses byusing a moderate velocity gaseous movement (as contrasted to lowvelocity gaseous movement extending over a relatively long period oftime), with the moderate velocity gaseous movement being on the order ofrecycling all of the air/smoke within the smoking chamber from 4 to 8times per minute. This approach has been generally unsuccessful becausethe air movement is not effectively and uniformly directed to thesurface of the entire product in the smokehouse. Accordingly, as aconsequence, to obtain best results by using moderate velocity gaseousmovement, the processing time had to be increased by several hours inorder to process the product satisfactorily. As is readily apparent, thelonger it takes to process the product, the greater the cost ofprocessing because of labor costs and, in addition, the increased timein exposing the food products to the hightemperature conditions withinthe smokehouse gives rise to greater product shrinkage. Accordingly,-thecombination of the labor costs and the greater shrinkage results in theinefficient operation of prior art smokehouses.

SUMMARY OFTI-IE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved method and apparatus for processingfoodstuffs, and in particular, a method and apparatus for processingfoodstuffs which provides a uniform cooking and smoking of the productsdisposed in the processing chamber.

It is another object of this invention to decrease to a fraction thetime required for processing foodstuffs.

It is still a further'object of the invention to rapidly processcomminuted meat emulsions having acceptable color, texture and bacterialfactors.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatusincluding a housing having an intermediate false ceiling which dividesthe housing into an upper distribution chamber and a lower processingchamber. The false ceiling includes a plenum chamber connected by meansof suitable ducting to an air inlet in the wall of the housing, and thefalse ceiling further includes openings providing communication betweenthe processing chamber, the distribution chamber and the plenum chamber.Ducting extends from the distribution chamber to the processing chamber,and an outlet is provided in the distribution chamber, as well asheating means. The apparatus includes means for providing smoke to asmoke chute located in the processing chamber in the region of theopening between the processing chamber and the plenum chamber. Inaddition, a two-speed blower is disposed in the distribution chamberabove the openings connecting the various chambers, and the blower isdriven by suitable means for circulation of air and/or smoke within thehousing. A hollow truncated cone is provided in the opening between theplenum chamber and the smoking chamber, and a volute is provided in theplenum chamber, with the volute and truncated cone cooperating to definea restricted passageway to control the flow of intake air from theplenum chamber to the distribution chamber. The arrangement of thevolute and hollow cone ensures that the flow within the processingchamber is uniformly distributed throughout the entire processingchamber, thereby insuring that all of the meat products within theprocessing chamber are uniformly cooked and/or smoked. If desired, awater spray assembly may be provided in the processing chamber. In theprocess of the subject invention, after the meat products have beenplaced on a tree within the processing chamber, the blower is operatedat high velocity and the air. in the housing is pre-heated. Next, theair intake and exhaust are opened such that outside air passes throughthe air inlet to the plenum chamber, past the restricted opening definedby the volute and truncated cone, and is mixed with the air withdrawnfrom the processing chamber by the blower to the distribution chamber.The circulating air is further heated by the heating means, and aportion thereof is allowed to exhaust through the exhaust outlet. As theair is withdrawn from the processing chamber, and a portion of theheated air is circulated through the ducting to the processing chamber,the moisture within the processing chamber is removed and hence the meatproducts are dried. During the drying cycle, while humidity is beingremoved from the foodstuffs by recirculation of the air, the foodstuffsare being heated to the temperature at 1 which the products reach thedesired color. The next phase of operation is the smoke cycle. At suchtime, the dampers for the air inlet and air exhaust are closed, andsmoke is introduced through the smoke inlet to a smoke chute provided inthe processing chamber, and afterleaving the smoke chute, the smoke iswithdrawn upwardly past the truncated cone and volute to thedistribution chamber where it passes the heating coils and is circulatedthrough the ducting extending along the sides of the processing chamber.The smoke cycle of the subject process continues for a pre-set timecycle and during this period of time, the heating means are constantlyheating the recirculating smoke, thereby causing a simultaneoussmokingand cooking of the meat products. After the designated timecycle, the smoke supply is cutoff, and the smoke within the housing isremoved by rinsing it with steam that is collected in a drain located inthe base of the processing cham ber. As previously mentioned, the lawrequires that a minimum temperature be reached in order to ensure thatbacteria such as trichina have been destroyed. Hence, if at thecompletion of the smoke cycle, the foodstuffs have not reached therequired temperature, circulation of the heated air is contined. At suchtime, if required, additional moisture is added to the air to aid in thecooking process. The final cycle of the subject process is the showeringof the meat products. This cycle is optional depending on'the processorsneeds. The shower cycle provices the wetting down with water or liquidcoolant of the meat products by the shower means provided in theprocessing chamber. The operation of the subject apparatus and thepractice of the subject process may be automatically controlled byappropriate electrical means, with at least one tempera-- ture probebeing provided into a sample meat product in order to determine theinternal temperature of the meat, and at least one temperature devicebeing provided in the processing chamber for providing control signalsto the electrical means.

The apparatus of the subject invention is so constructed as to enablethe rapid and consistent cooking and smoking of meat products, so as toproduce color development and surface formation which is particularlydesirable to the consumer; to impart specific texture to the meatproducts; and to achieve destruction of the bacterial growth whichcauses spoilage of the meat. The specific construction of the subjectapparatus ensures the uniform distribution of the air and/or smokeduring all phases of operation of the subject apparatus, thereby greatlyminimizing the amount of time needed for processing foodstuffs, and as aresult, enables greater control of the amount of shrinkage of thefoodstuffs. The combination of control of shrinkage and fasterprocessing time greatly reduces the cost of cookingand/or smoking foods,and in addition, results in a superior product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of theinvention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference willnow be made to a preferred embodiment of the subject apparatus,described and illustrated with reference to l the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partially in section, of theapparatus of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a top sectional view of the apparatus of the subjectinvention, with the door of the apparatus be; g

view taken along line 3-3 in view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 6 is apartial sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a ,partial sectional view of a condenser assembly for use withthe subject apparatus.

Turning to FIG. 1, the apparatus of the subject invention generallycomprises an enclosure or housing 10 which is insulated and is ofgenerally rectangular crosssection, and of considerably greater verticalheight than cross-section. The housing 10 is provided witha door 12hinged as at 14. A glass portal 16 is provided in the door, as well as alamp 18 in order to enable the operator to view the internal processingchamber of the housing. A two-speed motor 20 is mounted on the top ofthe housing 10, and the various piping, to be described in detailhereinafter, is provided through the upper portion of the housing 10.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 which illustrate crosssections of thehousing, the internal portion of the housing is generally divided intothree compartments, one above the other. The lowermost and largestcompartment is the processing chamber 22, while the uppermost chamber isthe distribution chamber 24, with the intermediate chamber being aplenum chamber 26.

Disposed along opposite walls of the processing chamber 22 are a seriesof spaced vertical slats 30 which are preferably made of a non-corrosivematerial such as stainless steel, and each of which is adjustablymounted by means of pins 32 that are slideably mounted within verticalslots 34 (see FIG. 3) provided in the slat. As noted in FIG. 4, eachadjustable slat 30 includes a downwardly directed flange 36, and theslats 30 are spaced from the interior wall of the housing 10 to definetwo side ducts 40. As more fully described hereinafter, air and/or smokeprovided from the distribution chamber 24 to the side ducts 40 isallowed to vent through elongated passageways 42 defined betweenadjacent slats 30. Air flow, indicated by arrow 44, passing theadjustable passageway 42 impinges on the flanges 36 and is disturbedthereby resulting in turbulant flow which is very effective in ensuringuniform flow around all of the foodstuffs. As noted in FIG. 4, thelowermost passageway 42 in each side duct 40 of the smoking chamber maybe of greater size than the other passageways 42 whereby a substantialportion of the air and/or smoke provided from the distribution chambermay exit through these lowermost passageways. Realizing that this airand/or smoke is generally of a higher temperature than the air withinthe processing chamber, it is readily appreciated that the dumping of alarge percentage of the total air and/or smoke at the bottom of theprocessing chamber under the product, also helps to achieve a moreuniform heat and circulation flow throughout the entire processingchamber 22.

Mounted within the processing chamber 22 is a rail assembly 48 foraccomodating the rack or tree 50 on which the foodstuffs 52 are mounted.The rack 50 includes rollers 51 to facilitate movement into and out ofthe processing chamber. The latter also includes a shower assembly 54,including a plurality of spray nozzles 56, and the shower assembly isconnected by piping 58to a source of fluid coolant such as water orliquid carbon dioxide. Located in the base portion of the processingchamber 22 is a closable drain 60 which is connected via a conventionaltrap (not shown) to a conduit extending externally of the apparatus ofthe subject invention.

The mounting of the slats 30 by means of the pins 32 and elongated slots34 enables the slats 30 to be vertically movable so as to adjust thesize of passageways 42. By this arrangement, the distribution of the airand- /or smoke within the processing chamber 22 may be controlled, inorder to aid in the uniform distribution of the flow within thesmokingchamber.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper wall of the processingchamber is defined by a false ceiling 64 which also defines the plenumchamber 26. A central, annular opening is provided in the false ceiling64, and

an adjustable, hollow truncated cone 66 is secured to the false ceilingand extends partially into the plenum chamber 26. The false ceiling 64includes a curved member 64' which cooperates with the upper curved wallof the distribution chamber to effectively taper the transition betweenthe distribution chamber and the ducts 40. The curved member 64' alsosupports a volute 70 that is spaced from the adjustable truncated cone64 so as to define an annular opening 74 enabling communication betweenthe plenum chamber 26 and the interior of the volute 70. In turn, theupper portion of the volute 70 is open to the distribution chamber 24immediately below a blower 100.

The volute 70 is secured to the curved member 64' of the false ceilingby bolts 72. Referring to F IG. 4, the annular opening 74 defined by thevolute 70 and the truncated cone 64 is adjustable upon adjustment of thetruncated cone 64.

Turning to FIGS. 5 and 7, mounted to the false ceiling 64 within theprocessing chamber 22 is a smoke chute which comprises an elongatedmember 82 which is closed at one end 84, and having an open end in thevicinity of the adjustable truncated cone 66. The cross-section of theelongated member 82- is closed so as to form with the false ceiling 64an elongated passageway, and slidably mounted within said member 82 is asimilarly configured extension member 88 which, as illustrated by thearrow, may be moved so as to effectively extend the smoke chute 80further .toward the center of the truncated cone 66. An opening 90 isprovided in the false ceiling 64 to which is connected the smoke inletpiping 92 which extends to a point externally of the housing 10 and isconnected to a source of smoke (not shown). The smoke inlet piping ismore clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The smoke generating unitfor providing smoke to the subject apparatus is preferably of the typedisclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 3,462,282 which issued to G.Fessmann on Aug. 19, 1969 and is entitled Process and Apparatus forPreparing a Smoking Fluid and Smoking Foodstuffs Therewith.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the distribution chamber 24 is defined bythe upper curved wall of the housing 10 and upper portion 64 of thefalse ceiling, and side walls of the housing 10, and is connected bypassageways leading to the side ducts 40,40. The blower is disposeddirectly above the opening of the volute 70,

and is connected by a shaft 102 to the two-speed motor 20. Also mountedwithin the distribution chamber are electricalheating means in the formof coils 104, and provided in the passageways extending from thedistribution chamber 24 to each of the side ducts 40 is an arrangementof heating means in the form of steam pipes 106 (see FIG. 6). Theplumbing 107 extending from the steam pipes projects from the top of thehousing 10, and includes a condensate outlet 107 The provision of twotypes of heating means is optional, and in most instances where highpressure steam is available, only the steam heating means 106 would beincluded in the apparatus. Of course, the primary reason for preferringsteam is the loweroperating cost of the unit. On the other hand, whereonly low pressure steam is available, the electrical heating 104 may berequired, either singly or in combination with the low pressure steamheating means. To a great extent the type of heating means employed is afunction of the heatrequired for cooking and/or smoking and specificgoods to be processed.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pair of rectangular shaped openings are providedin the upper wall of the housing 10. The first opening comprises a freshair inlet 108 and is connected by a ducting 110 leading to the plenumchamber 26 (see FIG. 3). Inlet 108 is closed by a damper 112 which iscontrolled by a suitable actuating means (not shown). The second openingin the housing comprises an exhaust duct 116 that is in communicationwith the distribution chamber 26. The exhaust opening 116 is alsoprovided with a damper 118 that is controlled by a suitable actuatingmeans (not shown). It is noted that the operation of the fresh air inlet108 and the exhaust 116 are coordinated whereby the dampers of bothopenings are opened and closed simultaneously. Also extending throughthe upper wall of the housing 10 is a smoke vent bleed pipe 120 that isin communication with the upper distribution chamber 26.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, a water spray unit 150 is provided in eachside duct 40 above the steam pipes 106. Units 150 are connected to asource of water (not shown) through pipe 152 extending from the top ofthe housing. As is readily apparent, water sprayed from unit 150contacts the heated steam pipes 106 thereby resulting in water vapor.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, the upper distribution chamber includesa pair of guide vanes 130, 132, disposed on diametrically opposed sidesof the blower 100. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2, the directionof rotation of the blower 100 is clockwise, and the guide vanes 130, 132are suitably positioned in order to effectively direct the circulatoryair flow from the blower 100 toward the passageways leading to the sideducts 40,40. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the fresh air inlet 108 isdisposed within the contour of the V- shaped guide vane 132 so that thefresh air inlet is not in communication with the distribution chamber24. On the other hand, the exhaust outlet 116 is positioned laterally ofthe guide vane 130 whereby the exhaust 116 is in communication with thedistribution chamber 24. As previously indicated, motor 20 is atwo-speed motor whereby the blower 100 may be operated at a low speedfor the gentle circulation of flow within the housing 10 oralternatively, the blower 100 may be operated at high speed for therapid circulation of flow within the housing. It is at the higher speedthat the guide vanes 130, 132 are particularly effective in aiding thecirculation of the flow from the distribution chamber to the side ducts40,40.

In order to determine the internal temperature of the foodstuffs duringthe various phases of operation of the apparatus of the subjectinvention, a heat probe 140 is provided within the processing chamber 22for insertion into a sample foodstuff 52, and is connected via a lead142 to a control device 144, which is mounted externally of the housing10. Because of the fact that the heat probe 140 is positioned within thefoodstuff, it provides the optimum indication of the processingcondition of the foodstuffs. Hence the output signals of the heat probemay be used fOr for cycling the subject apparatus to the next processingcycle. This is particularly advantageous when cycling from the dryingcycle to the smoking" cycle, and also from the cooking" cycle to theshowering" cycle, as more fully described hereinafter.

While an automatic control system based on time alone may be adequate,the use of the control signal from heat probe 140 is preferable. Forexample, the change from the drying to the smoking cycle, if done on astraight timed basis, may differ considerably since the incomingtemperature of the foodstuffs to be processed may vary considerably.Thus a timed interval for the drying cycle may be too little or toogreat but a change from drying to smoking initiated when the internaltemperature of the product achieves the desired predetermined point muchmore accurately and precisely assures uniformity of processing. The samecomment applies to the change from the cooking to the showering cycle.

In addition, a second temperature measuring device 146 is mounted withinthe processing chamber 22 to indicate the temperature of processingchamber 22, and is connected via lead 148 to control device 144. Thecontrol device 144 may form a portion of a control assembly forcontrolling each of the elements of the subject apparatus in order toenable the apparatus to operate through its various cyclesautomatically. Alternatively, the control device may be of the naturewhich would be observed by an operator who, through appripriate means,would cycle the apparatus through its various phases of operation.

The method of the subject invention will now be described with referenceto apparatus 10. After the foodstuffs are mounted on a tree 50, the treeis rolled into the processing chamber 22, and the heat probe 140 isinserted into a sample foodstuff. After the door 12 of the housing isclosed, the first cycle, consisting of the drying cycle, of theapparatus is commenced. The objective of the drying cycle is to achievethe desired color of the product. A comminuted meat emulsion isgenerally gray in color, and in order to achieve the desired color, itis necessary to heat and dry the product simultaneously. One of theproblems associated with this cycle-is that if the cycle is carried onat too high a temperaure, the nitrates and nitrites in the comminutedmeat emulsions may be affected so that the desired color is neverachieved. On the other hand, if the relative humidity within the chamberis too high, it takes a longer time in order to achieve the desiredcolor. The apparatus of the subject invention is able to satisfy both ofthese requirements by effecting a uniform circulation of air about thefoodstuffs, while simultaneouly heating the processing chamber to slowlyincrease the temperature of the foodstuffs. Initially, the blower isoperated at high speed'and the heating means 104 and 106 are actuated.Both dampers 112 and 118 are closed and hence the air within the housingis continually being heated and circulated, until the desiredtemperature (as measured by devices and 146) are reached. In the nextphase of the drying cycle operation, the air inlet duct 108 and theexhaust duct 116 are actuated to their open positions, and the blower100 is still operated at high speed. The heating means, either in theform of electrical heating means 104 or the steam heating means 106 arestill operative, to slowly increase the temperature within the apparatusso as to eventually raise the temperature of the foodstuffs to thatrequired for developing the desired color. Operation of the blower 100causes air to be drawn or sucked from the processing chamber 22 throughthe adjustable cone 66 to the volute 70 where it is mixed with fresh airthat has entered the plenum chamber 26 through the inlet opening 108 andpassed through the annular opening 74 between the cone 66 and volute 70.As is readily apparent, adjustment of the annular opening 74 by relativemovement between the volute 70 and cone 66 will affect the amount ofintermixing of fresh air and the air withdrawn from the processingchamber 22. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 4, the air passing from thevolute 70 to the blower 100 is reversed in direction so as to flowlaterally toward the side ducts 40. Of course, with the exhaust duct 116open, a portion of this flow is also expelled to the atmospheresurrounding the housing 10. The air flowing over the upper portion 64'of the false ceiling passes the heating means and is then passed downboth sidewalls to the ducts 40. Since the sources of heat for thiscirculated air is above any of the passageways 42 leading to theprocessing chamber, the temperature of the air passing through each ofthe passageways 42 is the same. As previously mentioned, it is desirablethat a high percentage of the flow be directed to the processing chamberthrough the lowermost passageway 42 so as to achieve greater uniformflow within the chamber. As is apparent, the specific design of the cone66 greatly enhances the distribution of the circulatory flow within theprocessing chamber. The angled walls of the adjustable cone 66 creates aCoanda effect whereby no dead spots" are created throughout thecross-section of the processing chamber. Hence, all of the foodstuffswithin the processing chamber are uniformly treated, as contrasted tothe prior art wherein a central draft column was created upon operationof the blower system.

1t should also be noted that the adjustment ofthe annular opening 74 bymovement of the cone relative to the volute controls the number ofchanges of air per unit of time within the housing, and not the velocityin the housing. The velocity of the flow in the housing is controlled bythe speed of operation of the blower 100, wheras the amount ofadditional air flow provided to the housing though the annular opening74 affects the rate at which the mass flow within the housing may becirculated by the blower. The drying cycle is continued until thetemperatures recorded by devices 140 and 146 have reached the desiredlevels, and the desired color of the foodstuffs has been reached. Theintroduction of fresh air to the circulatory flow within the housinggreatly aids in facilitating the rapid reduction in the amount ofhumidity of the air within the housing 10, and more particularly withinthe processing chamber 22, so as to achieve the desired humidity whichenables the foodstuffs to reach the required temperature for obtainingthe desired color.

The next cycle of the subject process is the smoking cycle. During thiscycle, the dampers 112 and 118 are simultaneous'y closed, therebyconfining the circulation within the apparatus 10. The smoking cycle isnormally continued for a pre-determined period of time, usually on theorder of about 2 to 30 minutes depending on the product being processed.The motor 20 is switched to its low speed, and smoke is input to theapparatus through the feed pipe 92. As previouslydescribed, the smoke isconducted through the feed pipe 92 to the smoke chute 80, and conductedalong the length of the elongated member 82 for discharge in the chamber24 for subsequent recirculation through the side ducts 40. From the sideducts, the air is distributed to the processing chamber through thepassageways 42 where the smoke contacts the foodstuffs. The smoke bleedpipe is opened to continually bleed off a certain amount of smoke, andas previously mentioned,

the fresh air damper 112 is closed, whereby no flow is 9 provided fromthe plenum chamber 26. During the smoking cycle, the slowlyrecirculating smoke is continually being heated by means of the heatingmeans 104 or 106 whereby the foodstuffs are being simultaneously cookedand smoked.

During the smoking cycle, the smoke which is bled through bleed pipe 120is passed to a condenser assembly for treatment prior to exhausting.This processing is required to satisfy the various governmentalpollution laws. The condenser is illustrated in FIG. 8 and is designatedby numeral 160. The condenser is connected to bleed pipe 120 and islocated externally of the housing 10, with its exhaust end connected toa drain pipe 170 leading to the sewer system. Condenser includes twoconcentric cylinders 162 and 164, with a shower assembly 166 beingdisposed within the condenser and supplied with water via piping 168.The opposite ends of the condenser are closed and a vent pipe 169 isprovided at the upper end of the condenser. Water pumped through theshower assembly 166 exists via nozzles 167 and hydraulically scrubs thesmoke emtering the condenser through pipe 120. The condensed smoke thenexits via drain 170. It is noted that smoke bleeds from the processingchamber to the condenser because of the greater pressure developed inthe processing chamber.

It is noted that even at the low speed of operation of the blowerassembly, the provision of the false ceiling including the cone 66ensures that the air and/or smoke being withdrawn from the processingchamber rises in a substantially broad column, whereby all of thefoodstuffs are uniformly exposed to the air and/or smoke. The provisionof the false ceiling structure within the houisng 10 is of extremeimportance in greatly reducing the amount of time required forprocessing the foodstuffs, thereby cutting the cost: ofprocessing whilesimultaneously providing greater control of the amount of shrinkage ofthe product. It is also noted that the provision of the volute 70located above the cone 66 provides an effective means for ensuring thatany condensate which occurs within the region of the plenum chamber 26condenses on the surface of the volute and runs downwardly along thecurved inner surface of the volute to a point beyond the upper openingof the truncated cone 66, whereby the condensate collects-within theplenum chamber 26. As is readily apparent, in prior art devices wheremerely a hole was provided in the partition between the smoking chamberand the upper chamber, any condensate would have a tendency to collecton the walls of the partition and eventually drop onto the foodstuffs,thereby creating spotting of the foodstuffs. As is readily apparent,this is extremely detrimental to the esthetic and taste qualities of thefoodstuffs.

Following the designated period of the smoke cycle, the smoke intake isclosed. Assuming that the foodstuffs have not reached the requiredtemperature to complete cooking thereof, the next step in the subjectprocess is the cooking cycle. The amount of time in which the foodstuffsare cooked beyond the smoking cycle is, of course, a function of thespecific type of foodstuffs and the temperature required in order toinsure that the foodstuffs have been sufficiently cooked to kill off orinhibit the bacterial growth to insure proper aging qualities of thefoodstuffs. During the cook cycle, one objective is to remove the smokefrom the circulating flow, and hence the spray unit 150 in each sideduct 40 is turned on so as to cause water to be sprayed on the heatingcoil 1106 thereby creating steam. The latter has two beneficial effects:(1 it rinses and scrubs down the smoke in the circulating flow, and thecondensed water, including the smoke, collects at the base of theprocessing chamber and exits through the drain 60 which is opened toallow liquid to drain; and (2) it adds steam to the circulating airwhich substantially aids in cooking the foodstuffs. It is noted thatduring the cook cycle, steam is also exhausted via the bleed pipe 120and thence through the condenser 160 to drain.

After the completion of the smoking cycle and the cooking cycle, thefoodstuffs have been completely processed. If desired, an additionalcycle in the form of a spraying cycle may be included in the processing.To this end, the blower is turned off, and water or liquid coolant suchas carbon dioxide is sprayed through the shower assembly 54 and thespray nozzles 56 directly down onto the foodstuffs 52 and allowed todrain through the drain 60 which is opened. The showering of thefoodstuffs is effective to bring the foodstuffs down to a temperaturewhich will allow the foodstuffs to be immediately moved into a cooler.If the very hot foodstuff products are moved directly into a coolerwithout sufficient cooling, the product may split open and/or mayexplode. There is always the danger of this, for'example in comminutedmeat emulsions such as frankfurters or bologna, that the sudden changein temperature will cause a crack or split in the casing. Hence, it ispreferable to shower the products from their very high cookingtemperature to a point fairly close to room temperature, say about 70-90F. During the showering process, the reduction in temperature of thefoodstuffs is readily measured by means of the probe 140. Following thecompletion of the shower cycle, the foodstuffs are removed from thehousing and placed in a suitable storage facility.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved methodand apparatus for treating foodstuffs. The apparatus of the subjectinvention is effective in providing uniform treatment of foodstuffsmounted on a tree, and is specifically characterized by the intermediatefalse ceiling which greatly aids in ensuring a uniform distribution ofair and/or smoke within the processing chamber, and is extremelyeffective during the drying cycle of operation to rapidly condition thefoodstuffs to the desired temperature and humidity conditions for thevarious cycles of processing.

An electrical system for enabling the subject apparatus to be operatedin an automatic manner will now be described. Basically, the controlcircuit for the electrical system includes a drying cycle relay, a smokecycle relay having a timing means, a cook cycle relay, a shower cyclelatching relay, and a time/temperature control relay. The latter isinterconnected to the temperature probes 140 and 146. In addition,suitable heat control relays including high and low set points arerequired. For controlling the actuation of the dampers 112, 116, a venttimer would be required, as well as a smoke/rinse timer for controllingthe solonoid valve of the auxiliary shower means 150. As previouslymentioned, motor 20 is a two-speed motor, and accordingly has a lowspeed motor contractor (switch) and a high speed motor contractor(switch). Timers would also be provided for the drying cycle relay, thesmoke cycle relay, the cook cycle relay, and the shower cycle relay.Other devices which may be required will be described with reference tothe following description. As soon as power is turned on, the varioustemperature probes 140, 146 are energized. When the start button ispushed, the drying cycle relay and a heat control relay are actuated.The drying cycle relay energizes the high speed contraction of theblower which in turn energizes the vent timer. The heat control relayenergizes the varies heat control circuits for the house. At this time,heat is introduced to the apparatus 10 and upon reaching apre-determined temperature, the drying cycle timer will be activated.When the drying cycle timer times out, it opens the circuit to thedrying cycle relay which disengages the blower high speed contractor.The drying cycle relay also de-energizes the vent timer, andsimultaneously activates the smoke cycle timer which activates theactivator for closing dampers 112, 116, and also the relay for the smokecycle. The latter relay activates the blower low speed contractor whichpreferably includes its own timer mechanism in order to allow the blowermotor to slow down prior to going into low speed. The smoke cycle relayalso actuates a solenoid valve associated with the condenser 160. Inaddition, the smoke cycle relay actuates the heat control devices toreset the pre-set temperature from a low set point to a high set point.Furthermore, the smoke cycle relay also activates the circuit to thesmoke generator. When the smoke timer times out, it disengages the smokecycle relay and closes the circuit to the cook timer. The cook timerenergizes the cook cycle relay which actuates the blower high speedcontractor. The cook cyle relay energizes the solenoid valve for theauxiliary shower means 150 whereby water is sprayed from the auxiliaryshower means onto the heating means 106 to producesteam for rinsing andscrubbing the smoke within the apparatus 10. At this time the apparatusis operating through its cook cycle. When the cook timer times out, itdisengages the cook cycle relay and energizes the shower timer. Thelatter energizes the shower cycle latching relay which latches in andsimultaneously disconnects the entire house heating circuit. At thistime the foodstuffs are being rapidly cooled to a suitable temperaturefor removal from the processing chamber. When the shower timer timesout, it unlatches the shower cycle latching relay and also thestart/stop latching relay. The system described above basically relieson timing mechanisms, however, as is readily apparent, the sequence ofoperation may be controlled based on an internal temperature program.The sequence of this program is the same as that for the time programexcept that the internal product temperature controller or probeoperates in conjunction with suitable latching relays to perform theduties of the dry cyle timer in the time program. A high set point onthe internal product heat probe 140 performs the functions of the cooktimer. When operating under an internal temperature program, the dryingcycle and cook cycle timers are set to zero. whereas the smoke timer andthe shower timer are used in the same manner as in the time program.Accordingly, the output of the heat probe 140 (disposed within a samplefoodstuff) automatically controls the cycling of the apparatus from thedrying cycle to the smoke cycle, and subsequently from the cook" cycleto the shower" cycle. This is particularly advantageous from thestandpoints of achieving optimum processing of the foodstuffs andoptimum efficiency of the apparatus.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments, numerous modifications and variations, both in form and indetail might occur to those skilled in the art. For example, severalunits may be interconnected whereby the various cycles of operationwould be coordinated in a manner whereby a single smoke generating unitmay be interconnected to all of the housings, and the products would beat different stages of processing in various housings. By thisarrangement, a single source of smoke, a single source of heat, and asingle source of water could be used in conjunction with severalapparatuses in tandem. Also, the interior of the processing chamber maybe suitably modified such that, in lieu of a tree 50, the foodstuffs 52may be placed on the racks of a conventional smokehouse cage. Use of acage will not compromise the abilityof the subject apparatus touniformly process all of the foodstuffs within the processing chamber.With respect to the subject method, it is apparent that for certainfoodstuffs the smoking cycle may be omitted, as well as the finalshowering cycle, without affecting the ability of the subject method touniformly process a large quantity of foodstuffs in a single operation.Accordingly, all such modifications and variations are intended to beincluded in the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs comprising: a housing having anintermediate false ceiling dividing the housing into an upperdistribution chamber and a lower processing chamber, said false ceilingdefining a plenum chamber in communication with an air inlet in the wallof the housing, said false ceiling also including openings providingcommunication between said processing chamber, distribution chamber andplenum chamber; ducting means extending along opposite walls of saidprocessing chamber in communication therewith and with said distributionchamber; an outlet in aid housing in communication with saiddistribution chamber; means for supplying smoke to said processingchambet in the region of said openings; heating means disposed in thedistribution chamber; a blower disposed in said distribution chamber;and means for driving said blower to circulate air and/or smoke from theplenum chamber and the process ing chamber through the distributionchamber to either the outlet or via the ducting means to the processingchamber.

2. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein the openinginterconnecting the plenum chamher and the processing chamber is definedby a hollow,

3. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 2 wherein thetruncated cone is adjustable to vary the spacing between the volute andthe cone.

4. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein the ductingmeans provided onopposite walls of the processing chamber include aplurality of slots to aid in uniformly distributing the circulationwithin the processing chamber.

5. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein the meansfor supplying smoke comprises an intake pipe extending from a pointexternally of the housing through the distribution chamber and plenumchamber to a smoke chute attached to the lower portion of the falseceiling, said smoke chute having an outlet in the region of the openingbetween the plenum chamber and the processing chamber.

6. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 5 wherein the lengthof the smoke chute is variable.

7. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein both theair inlet and the outlet include damp-- ers that are mechanicallyoperated in a manner that both dampers are simultaneously opened andsimultaneously closed.

8. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein guide vanesare provided in the distribution chamber to aid in directing thecirculatory flow.

9. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein the meansfor driving the blower comprises a two-speed motor mounted externally ofthe housing and connected to said blower.

10. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 further includinga shower unit disposed in the processing chamber.

11. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 10 further includinga drain provided in the base of the processing chamber.

12. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 further includingauxiliary heating means disposed in the ducting means extending alongopposite walls of the processing chamber.

13. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 12 further includingauxiliary shower means provided in the ducting means extending along theopposite walls of the processing chamber, and above the auxiliaryheating means whereby water sprayed from said auxiliary shower meansimpinges on the auxiliary heating means to create steam withinth-educting means.

14. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 1 further including afirst temperature probe means provided in the processing chamber, and asecond temperature probe means capable of being inserted into thefoodstuffs to be processed, in order to determine the temperatures ofthe foodstuffs and] the temperature of the air within the processingchamber during the various stages of operation of the apparatus.

15. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs comprising:

an insulated enclosure;

a false ceiling mounted in said enclosure and dividing the enclosureinto an upper distribution chamber and a lower processing chamber, withthe false ceiling defining a plenum chamber connected via ducting to anair inlet in the wall of the enclosure, said false ceiling havingopenings therein providing communication between said processingchamber, said distribution chamber, and said plenum chamber;

a hollow truncated cone supported by said false ceiling and provided inthe opening between the plenum chamber and the processing chamber;

a volute supported by said false ceiling and provided in the openingbetween the plenum chamber and the distribution chamber, said volute andtruncated cone being spaced to define the opening leading from theplenum chamber;

ducting means extending along opposite walls of siad processing chamberin communication therewith and with said distribution chamber;

said enclosure including an outlet in communication with saiddistribution chamber;

means for supplying smoke to said processing chamber in the region ofsaid hollow truncated cone;

heating means'disposed in the distribution chamber;

a blower disposed in said distribution chamber; and

means for driving said blower to circulate air and/or smoke from theprocessing chamber and air from the plenum chamber through thedistribution chamber to either the outlet or via the ducting means tothe processing chamber.

16. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein theducting means provided on opposite walls of said processing chamberinclude a plurality of passage-ways to uniformly distribute thecirculation within the processing chamber.

17. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein the meansfor supplying smoke comprises an intake pipe extending from a pointexternally of the enclosure through the distribution chamber and plenumchamber to a smoke chute attached to the lower portion of the falseceiling, said smoke chute having an outlet in the region of said hollowtruncated cone.

18. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein thelength of the smoke chute is variable.

19. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein both theair inlet and the outlet include dampers that are mechanically operatedin a manner that both dampers are simultaneously opened andsimultaneously closed.

20. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein guidevanes are provided in the distribution chamber to aid in directing thecirculatory flow.

21. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein the meansfor driving the blower comprises a two-speed motor mounted externally ofthe enclosure and connected to said blower.

22. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 further includinga shower unit disposed in the processing chamber. I

23. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 further includinga drain provided in the base of the processing chamber.

24. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 further includingan auxiliary heating means disposed in the ducting means extending alongopposite walls of the processing chamber.

25. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 24 further includingauxiliary shower means disposed in the ducting means and mounted abovesaid auxiliary heating means.

26. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim [5 further includinga temperature probe means provided in the processing chamber, whichtemperature probe means is inserted into a foodstuff to be smoked inorder to determine the temperature thereof during the various stages ofoperation of the apparatus.

27. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs comprising: a housing having anintermediate false ceiling dividing the housing into an upperdistribution chamber and a lower processing chamber, said false ceilingdefining a plenum connected via ducting to an air inlet in the wall ofthe housing, said false ceiling also including openings providingcommunication between said processing chamber, said distribution chamberand said plenum chamber;

a hollow, truncated cone supported by said false ceiling in the openingprovided between said processing chamber and said plenum chamber;

a volute secured to said false ceiling in the opening between saidplenum chamber and said distribution chamber, said volute and cone beingspaced to control the size of the passageway extending between saidplenum chamber and said volute;

ducting means extending along opposite walls of said processing chamberin communication therewith and with said distribution chamber;

said housing including an outlet in communication with said distributionchamber;

means for supplying smoke to said apparatus including an intake pipeextending from a point externally of the housing through thedistribution chamber and the plenum chamber to a smoke chute attached tothe lower portion of said false ceiling, said smoke chute having anoutlet in the region of the hollow, truncated cone;

heating means disposed in the ducting means extending along oppositewalls of the processing chamber;

shower means disposed in the ducting means extending along oppositewalls of the processing chamber above said heating means;

a blower disposed in said distribution chamber; and

a two-speed motor mounted on said housing for driving said blower towithdraw air and/or smoke from the plenum chamber andthe processingchamber to the distribution chamber and to either recirculate same viathe ducting means to the processing chamber, or to expel same throughsaid outlet.

28. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as'in claim 27, wherein the sizeof the truncated cone is adjustable wherebythe spacing between thevolute and the cone may be varied.

29. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 28, wherein thelength of the smoke chute is variable. 30. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 28 wherein both the air inlet and the outletinclude dampers that are mechanically operated in a manner that bothdampers are simultaneously opened and simultaneously closed.

31. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 28 wherein guidevanes are provided in the distribution 32 further including a drainprovided in the base of the processing chamber.

34. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 28 further includinga temperature probe means provided in the processing chamber, whichtemperature probe means is inserted into the foodstuffs to be smoked inorder to determine the temperature thereof cated in the processingchamber for measuring the temduring the various stages of operation ofthe apparatus. perature thereof during the various stages of operation35. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim of the apparatus.

34 further including a temperture measuring means

1. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs comprising: a housing having anintermediate false ceiling dividing the housing into an upperdistribution chamber and a lower processing chamber, said false ceilingdefining a plenum chamber in communication with an air inlet in the wallof the housing, said false ceiling also including openings providingcommunication between said processing chamber, distribution chamber andplenum chamber; ducting means extending along opposite walls of saidprocessing chamber in communication therewith and with said distributionchamber; an outlet in aid housing in communication with saiddistribution chamber; means for supplying smoke to said processingchamber in the region of said openings; heating means disposed in thedistribution chamber; a blower disposed in said distribution chamber;and means for driving said blower to circulate air and/or smoke from theplenum chamber and the processing chamber through the distributionchamber to either the outlet or via the ducting means to the processingchamber.
 2. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 whereinthe opening interconnecting the plenum chamber and the processingchamber is defined by a hollow, truncated cone supported by said falseceiling, and the opening between said plenum chamber and saiddistribution chamber is defiend by a volute, the volute and cone beingspaced to control the circulation of air within the apparatus. 3.Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 2 wherein the truncatedcone is adjustable to vary the spacing between the volute and the cone.4. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein the ductingmeans provided on opposite walls of the processing chamber include aplurality of slots to aid in uniformly distributing the circulationwithin the processing chamber.
 5. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs asin claim 1 wherein the means for supplying smoke comprises an intakepipe extending from a point externally of the housing through thediStribution chamber and plenum chamber to a smoke chute attached to thelower portion of the false ceiling, said smoke chute having an outlet inthe region of the opening between the plenum chamber and the processingchamber.
 6. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 5 whereinthe length of the smoke chute is variable.
 7. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein both the air inlet and the outletinclude dampers that are mechanically operated in a manner that bothdampers are simultaneously opened and simultaneously closed. 8.Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 wherein guide vanesare provided in the distribution chamber to aid in directing thecirculatory flow.
 9. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1wherein the means for driving the blower comprises a two-speed motormounted externally of the housing and connected to said blower. 10.Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 1 further including ashower unit disposed in the processing chamber.
 11. Apparatus forprocessing foodstuffs as in claim 10 further including a drain providedin the base of the processing chamber.
 12. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 1 further including auxiliary heating meansdisposed in the ducting means extending along opposite walls of theprocessing chamber.
 13. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim12 further including auxiliary shower means provided in the ductingmeans extending along the opposite walls of the processing chamber, andabove the auxiliary heating means whereby water sprayed from saidauxiliary shower means impinges on the auxiliary heating means to createsteam within the ducting means.
 14. Apparatus for processing foodstuffsas in claim 1 further including a first temperature probe means providedin the processing chamber, and a second temperature probe means capableof being inserted into the foodstuffs to be processed, in order todetermine the temperatures of the foodstuffs and the temperature of theair within the processing chamber during the various stages of operationof the apparatus.
 15. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs comprising: aninsulated enclosure; a false ceiling mounted in said enclosure anddividing the enclosure into an upper distribution chamber and a lowerprocessing chamber, with the false ceiling defining a plenum chamberconnected via ducting to an air inlet in the wall of the enclosure, saidfalse ceiling having openings therein providing communication betweensaid processing chamber, said distribution chamber, and said plenumchamber; a hollow truncated cone supported by said false ceiling andprovided in the opening between the plenum chamber and the processingchamber; a volute supported by said false ceiling and provided in theopening between the plenum chamber and the distribution chamber, saidvolute and truncated cone being spaced to define the opening leadingfrom the plenum chamber; ducting means extending along opposite walls ofsiad processing chamber in communication therewith and with saiddistribution chamber; said enclosure including an outlet incommunication with said distribution chamber; means for supplying smoketo said processing chamber in the region of said hollow truncated cone;heating means disposed in the distribution chamber; a blower disposed insaid distribution chamber; and means for driving said blower tocirculate air and/or smoke from the processing chamber and air from theplenum chamber through the distribution chamber to either the outlet orvia the ducting means to the processing chamber.
 16. Apparatus forprocessing foodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein the ducting means providedon opposite walls of said processing chamber include a plurality ofpassageways to uniformly distribute the circulation within theprocessing chamber.
 17. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim15 wherein the means for supplying smoke comprises an intake pIpeextending from a point externally of the enclosure through thedistribution chamber and plenum chamber to a smoke chute attached to thelower portion of the false ceiling, said smoke chute having an outlet inthe region of said hollow truncated cone.
 18. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein the length of the smoke chute isvariable.
 19. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 whereinboth the air inlet and the outlet include dampers that are mechanicallyoperated in a manner that both dampers are simultaneously opened andsimultaneously closed.
 20. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as inclaim 15 wherein guide vanes are provided in the distribution chamber toaid in directing the circulatory flow.
 21. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 15 wherein the means for driving the blowercomprises a two-speed motor mounted externally of the enclosure andconnected to said blower.
 22. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as inclaim 15 further including a shower unit disposed in the processingchamber.
 23. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 furtherincluding a drain provided in the base of the processing chamber. 24.Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 further including anauxiliary heating means disposed in the ducting means extending alongopposite walls of the processing chamber.
 25. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 24 further including auxiliary shower meansdisposed in the ducting means and mounted above said auxiliary heatingmeans.
 26. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 15 furtherincluding a temperature probe means provided in the processing chamber,which temperature probe means is inserted into a foodstuff to be smokedin order to determine the temperature thereof during the various stagesof operation of the apparatus.
 27. Apparatus for processing foodstuffscomprising: a housing having an intermediate false ceiling dividing thehousing into an upper distribution chamber and a lower processingchamber, said false ceiling defining a plenum connected via ducting toan air inlet in the wall of the housing, said false ceiling alsoincluding openings providing communication between said processingchamber, said distribution chamber and said plenum chamber; a hollow,truncated cone supported by said false ceiling in the opening providedbetween said processing chamber and said plenum chamber; a volutesecured to said false ceiling in the opening between said plenum chamberand said distribution chamber, said volute and cone being spaced tocontrol the size of the passageway extending between said plenum chamberand said volute; ducting means extending along opposite walls of saidprocessing chamber in communication therewith and with said distributionchamber; said housing including an outlet in communication with saiddistribution chamber; means for supplying smoke to said apparatusincluding an intake pipe extending from a point externally of thehousing through the distribution chamber and the plenum chamber to asmoke chute attached to the lower portion of said false ceiling, saidsmoke chute having an outlet in the region of the hollow, truncatedcone; heating means disposed in the ducting means extending alongopposite walls of the processing chamber; shower means disposed in theducting means extending along opposite walls of the processing chamberabove said heating means; a blower disposed in said distributionchamber; and a two-speed motor mounted on said housing for driving saidblower to withdraw air and/or smoke from the plenum chamber and theprocessing chamber to the distribution chamber and to either recirculatesame via the ducting means to the processing chamber, or to expel samethrough said outlet.
 28. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim27, wherein the size of the truncated cone is adjustable whereby thespacing between the volute and the cone may be varied.
 29. Apparatus forprocessing foodstuffs as in claim 28, wherein the length of the smokechute is variable.
 30. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim28 wherein both the air inlet and the outlet include dampers that aremechanically operated in a manner that both dampers are simultaneouslyopened and simultaneously closed.
 31. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 28 wherein guide vanes are provided in thedistribution chamber to aid in directing the circulatory flow. 32.Apparatus for porcessing foodstuffs as in claim 28 further including ashower assembly disposed in the processing chamber.
 33. Apparatus forprocessing foodstuffs as in claim 32 further including a drain providedin the base of the processing chamber.
 34. Apparatus for processingfoodstuffs as in claim 28 further including a temperature probe meansprovided in the processing chamber, which temperature probe means isinserted into the foodstuffs to be smoked in order to determine thetemperature thereof during the various stages of operation of theapparatus.
 35. Apparatus for processing foodstuffs as in claim 34further including a temperture measuring means located in the processingchamber for measuring the temperature thereof during the various stagesof operation of the apparatus.